Dash look for another road win in the Rose City: What to watch for

(image via Houston Dash)

The Houston Dash are at Providence Park tonight to face off with the Portland Thorns in a tough road test. After an international break and a friendly match with the Mexican National Team on Tuesday, the Dash have a quick turnaround for tonight’s match. Portland come into this game undefeated and on top of the NWSL table.

When: Friday, April 14 | 9:30 PM CT kickoff

Where: Providence Park; Portland, Oregon

TV/Stream: CBS Sports Network (national); nwslsoccer.com (international)

Fitness Issues

With many players coming back from international break and a friendly on Tuesday, will fitness be an issue this early in the season? Head Coach Sam Laity mentioned in his weekly press conference that three or four Dash players will be game-time decisions. This will be the second of four matches over the span of 11 days. Expect a different lineup from the one in the last league game against Chicago. On the positive side, Laity insists that the focus is “one game at a time” on rotation, fitness levels, and the load going forward.

Containing the Portland Attack

Portland has scored eight goals in their first two matches of the 2023 season. The likes of Sophia Smith and Christine Sinclair can cause any team many headaches. The current league champions would like to make it three from three to start their year. especially at home. The Thorns are going to be a true test for the Dash. Laity spoke about the key to success in tonight’s match. “The main thing is that we play with composure,” Laity said in his press conference. “It's important that we take care of the ball when we have it and then especially in transition, taking advantage, make sure that we don't waste the first pass because there will be opportunities where we'll get the ball off them. We'll set up to get the ball off them in particular areas. Taking care of the ball when we have it, especially in transition, will be a big indicator of whether or not we can come away with a successful result.” It’s easier said than done but the team have done it before, winning in Portland last season.

Rookies Time to Shine

A number of rookies made their debuts on Tuesday against Mexico and showed signs of promise for the future. A total of five players made their professional debuts in the midweek friendly: Jyllissa Harris, Madelyn Desiano, Sophie Hirst, Lindsi Jennings and Savannah Madden. We also saw a glimpse of new signing Barbara Olivieri and the return of Katie Lind in Tuesday’s match. Laity was pleased with the contribution and efforts from the rookies and what they could provide going forward. “We were very impressed with the performance of the of the rookies (on Tuesday),” Laity said. “I said this at the time, to make your professional debut against an international team is incredible. I'm not sure that's happened very much, certainly not in the league. We're very impressed by it. You're asking a rookie to come out, three of them and come out and play 90 minutes against a team that is literally littered with the best players available in the country. So very good, very promising. The thing that was promising for me was that they went through some hard times and they responded well. I was very conscious of that. There were a couple of times we thought about maybe taking the player out giving them a rest. There was a point when maybe we were getting a bit stretched and the game was difficult for them and I wanted to keep them in to work them through that instead of taking them out of fire, let's let them work through it and see how they handle it.” We may see some of them called on, not only in tonight’s game but in games to come.

Availability Report

Houston Dash - Out: Nichelle Prince (Achilles - season-ending injury),  Ella Dederick (right knee - season-ending injury), Emily Curran (left knee - season-ending injury), Makamae Gomera-Stevens (left knee - season-ending injury), Annika Creel (right knee - season-ending injury), Shea Groom (right knee), Emily Alvarado (concussion); Questionable: Ryan Gareis (hip), Kelcie Hedge (thigh)

Portland Thorns – Out: Tegan McGrady (thigh), Janine Beckie (knee – season-ending injury); Questionable: Emily Menges (thigh)

Predicted Lineup